Decorative shoelace tip holder

ABSTRACT

A decorative shoelace tip holder comprises a seamless decorative holder having a round top and mounted on a shoelace tip which is firstly bound around by plastic tubing. The decorative holder and the shoelace tip are engaged by punching. The rim of an open end of the decorative holder is ground into arced shape for protecting fingers holding there from being cut. The decorated holder is made of aluminum, whereby coloring it by electroplating can be easily provided so as to realize a colorful visual effect.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to decorative shoelace tip holders, moreparticularly to a decorative shoelace tip holder comprising a seamlessdecorative holder having a round top and mounted on a shoelace tip whichis firstly bound around by plastic tubing. The present invention ischaracterized by the means for connecting the decorative holder and theshoelace tip being punching, the rim of an open end of the decorativeholder being ground into arced shape for protecting fingers holdingthere from being cut, and the decorated holder being made of aluminum,whereby coloring it by electroplating can be easily provided so as torealize a colorful visual effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a decorative shoelace tip holder of theprior art is a holder 6 made of copper with a lateral seam 61 capable ofengaging a shoelace tip that is firstly wound around by plastic tubing.The copper shoelace holder 6 has the disadvantages of high specificweight, low susceptibility to coloring by electroplating, and thereforehigh production cost and high failure rate. It is a further disadvantagethat the lateral seam 61 has a sharp edge and could hurt the fingers ofa person who is pulling the end of a shoelace having the conventionalshoelace holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A decorative shoelace tip holder comprises a seamless decorative holderhaving a round top and mounted on a shoelace tip which is firstly boundaround by plastic tubing. The decorative holder and the shoelace tip areengaged by punching. The rim of an open end of the decorative holder isground into arced shape for protecting fingers holding there from beingcut. The decorated holder is made of aluminum, whereby coloring it byelectroplating can be easily provided so as to realize a colorful visualeffect.

The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be morereadily understood from the following detailed description when read inconjunction with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a decorative shoelace tipholder of the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the decorative shoelace tip holder ofthe prior art in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a decorative shoelace tipholder of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the decorative shoelace tipholder of the present invention in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5A and B illustrate the second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 illustrates the third preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 7A and B illustrate the fourth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 8A and B illustrate the fifth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a decorative shoelace tip holder accordingto the present invention comprises a seamless decorative holder 2 havinga round top and mounted on a shoelace tip 1 which is firstly boundaround by plastic tubing. The decorative holder 6 and the shoelace tip 1are engaged by punching. Since that the rim 21 of an open end of thedecorative holder 2 is ground into arced shape and that the decorativeholder 6 is seamless, fingers holding the decorative holder 6 areprotected from being cut. The decorated holder 2 is made of aluminum,whereby coloring it by electroplating can be easily provided so as torealize a colorful visual effect.

Please refer to FIG. 5 to 8 for the second to the fifth preferredembodiments of the present invention. 2. The second preferred embodimentof the present invention as a decorative shoelace tip holder has a rim31 around the open end of the decorative holder 3 provided with aplurality of saw teeth, whereby, as the decorative holder 3 is punchedonto said shoelace tip 1, the saw teeth of the rim are punched inward sothat the decorative holder 3 can engage the shoelace tip 1 further, asshown in FIG. 5 A and B.

The third and the fourth preferred embodiments of the present inventionas decorative shoelace tip holders 4 and 4A are provided with aplurality of pointed teeth 41 around the rim of an open end of thedecorative holder 4, which tilt inward and point in a direction awayfrom the rim. Thereby, as the decorative holder 4 and the shoelace tip 1are connected, the pointed teeth 41 can engage the shoelace tip 1 andenhance the retaining effect of the decorative holder 4 on the shoelacetip 1, as shown in FIG. 7 A and B.

The fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention as a decorativeshoelace tip holder comprises a seamless decorative holder 5 having around top and mounted on a shoelace tip 1 which is firstly bound aroundby plastic tubing. The shoelace tip 1 is further provided with anupwardly tapered corkscrew retaining piece 11. The rim of an open end ofsaid decorative holder 5 is further provided with an inward flange 51for eventually engaging a portion of the corkscrew retaining piece 11 asthe inward corkscrew retaining piece 11 spirals into the open end ofsaid decorative holder 5, whereby the decorative holder 5 can beretained on the shoelace tip 1, as shown in FIG. 8 A and B.

The present invention is thus described, and it will be obvious that thesame may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regardedas a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, andall such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art areintended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

1. A decorative shoelace tip holder, comprising: a seamless decorativeholder having a round top and mounted on a shoelace tip which is firstlybound around by a plastic tubing, said decorative holder and saidshoelace tip being connected by punching, a rim of an open end of saiddecorative holder that is engaged with said shoelace tip being groundinto arced shape for protecting fingers holding there from being cut,said decorated holder being made of aluminum, whereby coloring saiddecorated holder by electroplating can be easily provided so as torealize a colorful visual effect.
 2. The decorative shoelace tip holderof claim 1 wherein said rim of said open end of said decorative holdermounted on said shoelace tip forms saw teeth, whereby, as saiddecorative holder is punched onto said shoelace tip, said saw teeth ofsaid rim are punched inward so that said decorative holder can engagesaid shoelace tip further.
 3. A decorative shoelace tip holder,comprising: a seamless decorative holder having a round top and mountedon a shoelace tip which is firstly bound around by a plastic tubing, arim of an open end of said decorative holder being provided with aplurality of pointed teeth tilting inward and pointing in a directionaway from said rim of said open end, whereby, as said decorative holderand said shoelace tip are connected, said pointed teeth can engage saidshoelace tip and enhance the retaining effect of said decorative holderon said shoelace tip.
 4. The decorative shoelace tip holder of claim 3wherein said pointed teeth are arranged into a pattern selected fromtransverse row, longitudinal row and a two-dimensional array.
 5. Adecorative shoelace tip holder, comprising: a seamless decorative holderhaving a round top and mounted on a shoelace tip which is firstly boundaround by a plastic tubing, said shoelace tip being provided with anupwardly tapered corkscrew retaining piece, a rim of an open end of saiddecorative holder being further provided with an inward flange foreventually engaging a portion of said corkscrew retaining piece as saidinward corkscrew retaining piece spirals into said open end of saiddecorative holder, whereby said decorative holder can be retained onsaid shoelace tip.